


From the Mouth of Babes

by pentameter_and_pen



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-02
Updated: 2014-04-02
Packaged: 2018-01-17 23:11:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1406080
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pentameter_and_pen/pseuds/pentameter_and_pen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>CS. Daddy!Killian Baby Fluff. While Emma’s making dinner, Hook makes their baby daughter laugh for the first time.</p>
            </blockquote>





	From the Mouth of Babes

Emma had never thought that domestic life would suit her. But during the year in New York she’d taken to it like a duck takes to water - or maybe in her case a Swan. 

But that was four years ago. Stepping into the living room she can’t believe that this is actually her life now, not part of some curse that’s stripped her of her memories. 

Henry sits on the couch, video game controller in his hands, Liam and Roland on either side. With Regina about to give birth any day now, Emma agreed to let Roland stay over at her and Hook’s. Four years later and the youngest (and possibly merriest) Merry Man still idolises Henry, as is evident in his choice to constantly wear a scarf. It doesn’t hurt that Liam, though only three, has also joined the Henry fan club as well, following the other two everywhere. Emma can see the appeal. She’s been a member since Henry first convinced her to move back to Storybrooke. 

For his part Henry doesn’t seem to mind, showing admirable patience as both boys vie for his attention, telling him everything that springs to mind. At least now they’re both quiet, watching the screen with rapt attention as Henry easily vanquishes a foe and moves up a level. Emma suspects that he’s always wanted a big family - at least she had when she was younger - if not to have somewhere to belong, but to feel part of something bigger. Lucky for him, he now has two - three if she counts her parents and younger brother.

She smiles at the thought of James. Between him and the three young men in front of her, Storybrooke is overrun with young princes.

Well. Four princes and a princess.

Emma looks at the clock. It’s about time for her daughter to be waking up from her nap. So she turns and heads to the nursery.  

However, when she steps into the room she finds her third child not in the nautical-themed crib they’d bought when she was pregnant with Liam, but lying belly-first on her father’s chest as he reads from one of the many books he’s checked out of the library. 

"Damn pirate…" she mutters under breath with a smile, shaking her head as she crosses her arms.

 

She can’t count the number of times she’s walked in on this picture. First with Liam, now with Hope. Her husband can’t seem to keep himself away from their children. 

"Did she even sleep in the crib?" she asks softly, as to not wake their infant.

At the sound of her voice, he puts the book down and smiles up at her. 

"Hello Swan…" He says, his eyes twinkling. It’s clear the answer is a no. He must have come in when she’s sleeping and settled into this position. 

She walks closer, and kneels down next to his head, tucking her hair behind her ear as she leans forward to kiss him. 

As she pulls away, she turns to look at their infant, only to discover that she’s wide awake and watching them with rapt attention. She reaches out to feel Hope’s cheek. ”You know you can’t keep doing this right? We need to let her learn how to self-soothe.”

He sighs and she feels his breath on her cheek. He reaches out to stroke the Hope’s other cheek. The baby’s eyes immediately flash down to him at his touch. Emma’s not surprised. Father and daughter already have each other wrapped around their respective fingers. 

"I know…" he begins reluctantly. "But she was awake when I checked on her. And she looked bored."

"You’re going with  _bored_?” she says disbelievingly. “What do you think she was doing on your chest?”

He answers like it’s the most obvious thing. “We were reading.” 

"But she’s not even looking at the book." 

"Swan you know babies can’t read. Right?"

The only reason she doesn’t smack him is because he flashes ones his more dazzling smiles. So she just mock glares at him so he knows she’s not as amused by his teasing. This in no way dents his smile. It only grows wider.

That’s when Hope starts babbling. At the noise both parents’ attention is on her, their fingers still stroking her cheeks.

"Come on," Hook coaxes. “Say ‘Dada’…"

Instead she just continues on in baby-speak, turning her attention down to the buttons on his shirt, and attempting to chew it.

Not long after they defeated the Wicked Witch and he proposed to her, Emma finally convinced him to go shopping - there was no way he was getting married in leather pants, she’d argued. Since then he’s stuck to a uniform of jeans - with the occasional slacks - and button up shirts. Today’s choice is a purple plaid in flannel, a birthday present from Henry and Liam. 

This time Emma does smack him on the shoulder.

"We said no coaching! She has to say it on her own!"

He puts his arm on the baby’s back, supporting her as he slowly sits up. Emma reaches out to hold her head.

"Yes but you already got Liam! And Henry! Don’t tell me our sons aren’t mother’s boys."

"I’m trying to go three for three." 

She explains simply. He just meets her eyes, blue versus green.

A second later he gives up and smiles, looking down at Hope, who remains preoccupied with the button.

"She’s half pirate." He says, looking back up at her. His gaze is gentler this time. "So there’s no way she won’t pick you."

She doesn’t know how he does it, but the man’s ability to express his love in words never ceases to amaze her. 

"Yeah," she replies. "But she’s also half saviour. So there’s no way she wouldn’t choose the pirate."

She gives him a quick kiss before getting to her feet.

"Come on. Those boys are probably hungry, which means I’ve got to start getting dinner ready."

She bends down and takes Hope from him so he can get to his feet as well. Seeing the baby’s eyes immediately seek out her father, Emma smiles to herself and gives her a kiss on the forehead. There’s no doubt about it, she is definitely her daughter.

Just then she feels a pulling at her neck. It seems that Hope has once again found Emma’s necklace - the one he’d offered to her in lieu of an engagement ring, the one that had once belonged to her mother. She now wore it in tandem with her circle necklace. But Hope never seems to find that one, just the one that is a gift from her father. Oh yeah. Hope definitely takes after Emma.

"Heating up leftovers?"

Hook asks as they walk out into the living room.

"Well, since Roland’s staying over I thought I’d make breakfast for dinner. As a treat."

It also doesn’t hurt that it’s both Hook and Henry’s favourite meal. As expected he grins at her.

"Thought you’d like that…  _Hook_.” She says, wiggling her eyebrows at him.

Over the last couple of years she’s the only one who still calls him that. Even though Rumplestiltskin restored his hand back to him. Everyone else now goes by Killian, his pirate days long behind him. In fact, he’s the only one who ever brings it up anymore. 

She hands Hope back to him and heads into the kitchen. As she begins gathering up ingredients for pancakes, she sees him slowly walk over to the boys who’re still in the same position she’d left them in short while ago. Except now they pause the game to greet him. Or rather Henry does. 

Emma smiles at that. Henry looks up to Hook, always coming to him for advice, or anything really. And for that, she is glad. She’d known he’d be craving a father figure - he’d said as much in New York - and now he finally had one.

A few seconds later the conversation dies down as they go back the game on screen. Looking up from her mixing she sees that Hook’s put Hope in her high chair and has pulled it up to the breakfast bar, where he’s now perched. She shakes her head as she remembers how her husband likes to stay close, just in case she needs him.

She takes out the griddle pan and begins heating it up to he sound of Hope’s babbling. The next second she hears Hook’s voice and looks up to see that he’s actually replying to Hope, almost as if he’s keeping up a conversation. She shakes her head. The thought of her husband conversing with their four month year old is both adorable hilarious.

Of course he’s probably making his funny faces at her as well. Emma knows from experience, having watched him do the same thing with almost three years ago. Though this time Hope seems to be responding better than Liam did. Then again, Liam has always been quiet, preferring action to speaking. He’s much like her in that regard.  

All of a sudden she hears it. The sound ringing through the apartment. Emma immediately looks up. She sees that Hook’s eyebrows are raised and his eyes are wide as his cheeks seem to inflate and he makes a shrugging gesture of some sort. It happens again, the emanating from the tiny baby in front of him. 

Upon confirmation his eyes instantly seek Emma’s, a smile blossoming on his face.

Emma quickly turns the gas off and comes rushing to his side. Hope smiles as she sees her mother approach. That’s when Hook repeats his expression. Again, the little girl squeals with delight, giggling at the sight of her father. 

He does it a couple more times, each time eliciting the same reaction. 

"Wait."

At the sound of Henry’s voice. Emma looks up to see Henry, Liam and Roland all watching what’s happening.

"Did Hope just laugh?" Henry asks, clearly having noticed his sister’s delighted reaction. 

She grins and nods, looking down at her baby daughter’s face, it’s tickled pink.

"Yes," Emma replies, putting her hand on Hook’s shoulder. "Yes she did."

**Author's Note:**

> As usual I welcome any thoughts, comments, questions or concerns. If you liked this, you can find more of my work on tumblr, ff.net or AO3.


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